Main Ref. | Conand, C., 1998 |
Mode | dioecism |
Fertilization | external |
Spawning Frequency | one clear seasonal peak per year |
Batch Spawner | No |
Reproductive Guild |
nonguarders Open water/substratum egg scatterers |
Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Inshore, shallow-water populations are composed of smaller individuals and reproduce mostly by transversal fission. Deeper or outer reef populations are composed of larger individuals reproducing sexually (Ref. 122). Members of the class Holothuroidea are gonochoric and have only one gonad. Spawning and fertilization are both external and some exhibit brooding. Life cycle: Embryos develop into planktotrophic larvae (auricularia) then into doliolaria (barrel-shaped stage) which later metamorphose into juvenile sea cucumbers (Ref. 833). |
Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |